Guide means for hand routers



f alga Feb, 7, 1961 w. L. MITCHELL 2,970,513

GUIDE MEANS FOR HAND ROUTERS Original Filed Dec. 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 7, 1961 w.1 MITCHELL GUIDE MEANS FOR HAND ROUTERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Dec. 8, 1952 M m m m mmm A Mimi 1 United States. Patent "ice j 2,970,618 GUIDE MEANS FOR HAND ROUTERS William L. MitcheILLafayette, La.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 324,783, Dec. 8, 1952. This application Dec. 31, 1956, Ser. No. 631,810

6 Claims. (Cl. 144-136 This invention relates to a router template guide means. More particularly, it relates to improved template guide means adapted to be secured to'an electric hand router for guiding the routerbit in undercutting, edging, bevelling and similar operations, the attachment being particularly useful in undercutting, bevelling and dressing selvage edges of plastic laminates afterthey have been bonded on plywood stock. I

An object of the invention is to provide improved template guide means for use on routers, the guide means being adjustable to provide a desired depthof cut for the router bit, and being usablefor undercutting, bevelling and. similar edging operations and beingeasy to install. r

.Another object of the invention is to provide template guide means for .a router comprising a template contactor support carried by a router and adjustable radially of the router bit and a template contactor rigid or integral with said support and having a convexly curved template engaging portion positioned'to engage with a templatein a radial linealong which the contactor support is adjustable.

Another object is to-provide template guide means for a router comprising a template contactorwhich extends at least partialiy around the shank of the router bit. a i j Another object is to provide template guide means for a router comprising a template contactor which extends toward the router bit andis positioned adjacent thebit but outwardly in desire'dspaced relation from the outer end of the bit. t i

This invention is herein shown and described as applied to an electric hand router but it will be under-' stood that the same may be applied to other routers including handportable routers which arefixedly mounted. The above mentionedgeneral objects of my invention,

up for an undercutting'operation along the edge of a plastic laminate boardij Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the devices shown in Fig. l, thfe board being'omitted.

Fig. 3 isa fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation, taken substantially on broken line 33 of Fig. 2, and on alarger scale than Fig. 2, showing a template guide member and a router bit applied. to

an edge portion a plastic lamiriateboard.

2,970,618 Patented Feb. 7, 1961 Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of a carriage member embodied in the invention.

. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of template guide or abutment member which is supported by the carriage shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner portion on an undercut plastic laminate board, an edge of which has been formed by the use of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 7 is a detached fragmentary perspective view of a template guide or abutment member of modified form.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of an electric hand router provided with another form of template guide means constructed in accordance with this invention, showing the same applied to a plastic laminate board to perform a bevelling operation on the board.

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the devicessh own in Fig. 8, the board being omitted. Y

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the template guide means shown in Fig. 9, showing the same in relation to a bit and on a larger scale than Fig. 9.

vention, showing the sameset up to perform a finishing operation on the edge of a sheet of decorative plastic which is bonded to the top of a piece of furniture.

Fig. 12 is a view partly in plan and partly in section taken substantially or broken line l2i2 of Fig. 11

. and showing a ball bearing type of template contacting guide.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of the corner of a plastic laminate board with edges bevelled, as by the use of template guide devices ofthe form shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary bottom plan View showing adjustable means of modified form for supporting a template contactor member.

Figs l and 2 show a conventional electrically driven hand router comprising a motor 26 longitudinally ad' justably disposed within a base housing 21 and adapted to be held immovable in the base, housing 21 by clamp means '22. The base housing 21 has a base plate 23 to which is detachably secured a sub-base plate 24.

The base housing 21 also has, preferably two, perforated bosses 25 which receive two outwardly projecting spaced apart parallel guide rods 26. Screws 2'7 rigidly secure the guide rods 26 to the bosses 25. A router bit comprising acutting portion 28 and a shank 29 of smaller diameter than said cutting portion 28 is operatively connected with the router, preferably by securing the shank 29 within a suitable chuck or collet 30 on the shaft of the motor 20.

When the router is in use the sub-base plate 24 is ordinarily held in fiat contact with the work to which the router is; applied. The distance of projection of the This provides for properly positioning a bit for cutting purposes.

The hand router parts just hereinbefore describedare of conventional construction. i

The hereinafter described parts, made in accordance with the invention, comprise a carriage or guide mounting block 32 adjustably mounted on the guide rods 26 This carriage 32 comprises two spaced apart perforated bearing lugs-33 integral with a plate member 34. The guide rods 26 extend through the lugs 33 and screws 35 threadedintolugs 3 3 fixedlysecure the carriage 32 in any desired adjusted position on the guide rods 26.

The carriage plate 34 is ofiset relative to the sub-base plate 24 and normally underlaps the same. Preferably the carriage plate 34 is convergently tapered toward its inner end to minimize obstruction of the sub-base plate 24 asrespects work to which the router is applied. The side of the carriage remote fronrthe snb base plate 24 hastwo spaced apart bosses 36 which cooperate to form a track or guideway 37 of unitorm'width extending radially of the router. A lug 3 8 is longitudinally aligned with the guideway 37 and an abutment screw 39 is threaded through the lug 38and provided with a lock nut'40.

A template guide or abutment member 41 is disposed within the guideway 37 and supported by the carriage 32. This template guide or abutment member 41 comprises a supporting portion, herein termed a template contactor support 42 and a template engaging portion herein termed a template contactor 43. The template contactor 43 is preferably connected by an integral offset portion 47 with the template contactor support 42 and is positioned in operative relation to the bit 28, 29. A screw 44 operating in a longitudinal slot 45 in the template contactor support 42 clamps said support to the carriage plate 34. Preferably a washer 44 is used between the head of screw 44- and contactor support 42. The outer end of the template contactor support has a downwardly offset portion 46 which is engaged by the abutment screw 39. The abutment screw 39'thus provides for accurate adjustment of the template guide member 41 and co-v operates in rigidly supporting the same. '7 k The template contactor 43 is relatively thin and flat and has an aperture 48 therein which loosely fits over the shank 29 of the, bit. The aperture 48 may be large edge portion of the board as desired. The undercutting as just previously described, is an initial step preparatory to bonding a strip 55 of decorative plastic edging, Fig. 8, to the edge of a board. The surface coat of this plastic edging is thin and is easily destroyed if a driven tool is allowed to come into contact with the same. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate template guide means used in bevelling the edges of any board or like piece of material and particularly of a board to. which the plastic edging 55 has portions 57 and 58 on opposite ends thereof. A screw enough to be passed over the cutting portion 28 of the bit, although this is not essential, and said aperture is large enough to provide for longitudinal adjustment of the template guide 41. The template engaging end portion 59 of the part 43 is of narrow width and is convexly rounded on an are somewhat greater than the are on which the bit 28 cuts. As shown in Figs. 1, .2 and 3 the offset between the shank 29 and the cutting circle of the bit 28 is substantially greater than the width of the template engaging portion 54) of the part 43 so that the portion 50 may be set inwardly a substantial distance relative to the cutting circle of the bit part 28. Also this template engaging portion 5% is positioned on the opposite side of the axis of the bit from the template contactor support 4'2 and substantially in a plane radial to the axis of the bit and perpendicular to the edge of the work to which the bit is applied and extending longitudinally of the template contactor support. 9

The template guide member 41 shown in Fig. 7 is similar to the template guide member 41 shown in Figs.

1, 2, 3 and 5 except that one side of the template con-, tactor part 43 thereof is cut away to provide-a side openingSl which may be passed over the bit shank '29. This template contactor part 43" extends partially around the bit shank 29 and functions in the same manner as the template contactor part 43.

With the template abutment member or guide 41 in the'adjusted position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the router may be employed to undercut the edge of a board composed of a plywood core 52 having a top sheet 53 of durable decorative plastic material and bottom sheet 54, also of plastic material, bonded thereto. In making the cut the router sub-base 24 is placed on the top surface of the board and the router bit is applied to the edge of the board as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Thus the edge of the top sheet 53 of plastic material serves as a tem plate'and is engaged by the part 5% of the template contactor'43. As the router is moved along the'edge of, the board the blade part 28-undercuts the plywood 52 and bottom sheet'54 and leaves an overhanging edge portion 53.of the decorative plastic top sheet 53. Obvi: ously theundercu'tmay be made around as much of the 44a operating through a slot 59 secures the template guide part 56 to the carriage 32. One template contactor portion 57 is slightly oflset relative to the contactor support portion 56. This template guide shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is reversible sidefor side, when used with the oifset contactor member 57 toward the work and is also reversible end for end whenpositioned so that the contactor member 57 is oiiset away from the carriage plate 34. Reversing the positions of the template guide of Figs. 8 and 9 as above described provides variation as respects the distance of the'contactor'members 57 and 58 from the end of the driven .bevellingtool 28' shown in'Figs. 8 and 9.

The template guide shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is adjusted so that the outermost rounded end part of the template contactor, such as contactor-57, is positioned inwardly theedge of the boardwill form a bevel 60 on the overhanging edge 53' of the sheet 53, see also Fig. 13. The contactor 57 is positioned adjacent to and outwardlyfrom the cutting end of the bit 28' and in theinstance shown,

extends partly across the end of the bit 128., and the rounded tip part of the contactor 57 which engages the template strip is positioned substantially in a plane which coincides with the direction along WhlCh the contactor 56 is moved when it is adjusted and which is perpendicular to the plane of the strip 55 and ;passes:through the projected axis of the bit 28'. As the template guide member illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 operates in spaced relation below the end of the-bit28' its width is not limited by the thickness of the top sheet of plastic mate- 'rial and it is of greater thickness'than the corresponding template guide members shown infFigs. 1 to 5 and 7. Obviously a bevel may be madeon the bottom edge of the strip 55 shown in Figs. 8 and 13 in a manner;

prises a templates-contactor support part 61, an integral downwardly oifset part 62 on the inner end of part 61, an integral terminal-portion 63-extending approximately at right'angles from the downwardly offset portion .62

and a template contacting. anti-friction roller bearing; 64

carried by the part 63. The roller bearing 64 is adjustably supported by a screw 65 which is threaded through the part 63 and has a lock nut 66 thereon. The template guide means shown in Fig. 11 is used in a manner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 8 with thetemplate contacting means 64 engaging the edge of the work out-- The sub-base 24 of the router is placed on? wardly from the cutting end of the bit. For instance, in reconditioning a piece of furniture having a top 67 and an ornamental edge part 68 a sheet of decorative plastic 69 may be bonded to the top 67 with the edge thereof overhanging. Then the router may be used to trim away this overhanging edge part with the rounded edge 68 of the top member serving as a template and the roller bearing 64 held firmly against this rounded edge 68 as the router is moved along the edge of the top member 69 with a router bit 70 trimming the overhanging edge of the decorative plastic sheet 69.

In the modified form of this invention shown in Fig. 14 the carriage or guide mounting block 32 and guide rods 26 shown in the previous figures are dispensed with and a guide mounting block 71 is secured by screws 72 to a sub-base plate 73 of a router. The sub-base plate 73 is similar to the previously described sub-base plate 24. The mounting block 71 is similar to the carriage 32 except that it is narrower. A template guide member 74, similar to the template guide member 41, is adjustably secured to the mounting block74 in the same manner in which template guide member 41 is secured to carriage 32 and functions in the same manner. The adjustment afforded by the template guide member 74 is suilicient for most kinds of work. It will be understood that template guide members of various different shapes, such for instance as the template guide member 56 of Figs. 8 and 9 and the template guide member 61 of Fig. 11, may be used in the mounting block 71 shown in Fig. 14.

The template engaging end portions of the template guide members 41, 56 and 61 are convexly curved on arcs which are only slightly greater than the cutting arcs of the bit and these guide members each have a line of contact rather than a flat area of contact with the respective edges or surfaces which are used as templates. This line of contact is in a plane which passes through the axis of the tool and is substantially perpendicular to the edge of the material along which the tool is being moved. For this reason small variations in the angular position of the router on the work, such as are liable to occur in the operation of a hand tool, will not result in disalignment of the tool and imperfections in the work. Obviously if the template guide means contacts the member which serves as a template ahead of the tool or to the rear of the tool or both ahead and to the rear of the tool then angular deviation of the router away from the correct position will deviate the router tool away from ist proper line along the edge of the work and this will result in imperfections in the work. Also accurate operation of the tool around curves is facilitated by having line contact of the template guide in a plane which is perpendicular to the template edge and passes through the axis of the tool.

Obviously changes may be made in the forms, dimensions and arrangement of parts of my invention, without departing from the principle thereof, the above setting forth only preferred forms of embodiment.

This application is a continuation of my co-pending application Serial No. 324,783, filed December 8, 1952, entitled, Template Guide Means for Routers, now abandoned.

I claim.

1. In combination with a router having a Work engaging base portion and a rotatively driven bit extending below said base portion, template guide means comprising rigid guide rods extending outwardly from said base portion, a carriage movable mounted on said guide rods for adjustment toward and away from said router bit, guide means provided on said carriage, a template contactor support mounted by said guide means for radial adjustment relative to said bit, and a template contactor rigid with said support having a template engaging portion convexly curved on a radius greater than the cutting radius of said bit, said template contactor contacting the template along a vertical line adjacent said bit and substantially perpendicular to the radial line of adjustment of said template contactor support.

2. In combination with an electric hand router having a rotary bit projecting from its bottom end; outwardly extending guide rods secured to said router; a carriage adjustably secured to said guide rods; guide means on said carriage extending toward said bit; a template abutment member slidablysupported by said guide means and extending adjacent said bit; clamping means secured to said carriage and clampingly engaging'the intermediate'portion of said template abutment member; and an abutment screw threadedly engaged with said carriage substantially in longitudinal alignment with and engaging the outer end of said template abutment member.

3. in combination with a conventional electric hand router having a motor router bit, a work engaging base surrounding said bit, said base uniformly supporting in balanced relation said motor for driving said bit, the vertical axis of said motor and said bit forming a vertical axis for the base and the router as a whole and providing thereby for precision operation of the tool, an attachment comprising, a guide member mounting block beneath said base disposed adjacent to and radially of said bit to permit maintaining said balance and removably fixable to said underside of said base; a longitudinally disposed guideway in said block extending parallel to said base; a guide member having a template contactor supporting portion and a template contactor portion in different planes, said guide member selectively mountable in said guide way, said template contactor portion having an end of convexly curved arc of greater radius than the radius of the cutting arc of the bit, said template contactor end extending normally to a single line of engagement with the work adjacent to said bit in providing for maximum cut of the bit to a predetermined line of cut.

4. In combination with a conventional electric hand router having a motor router bit, a work engaging base surrounding said bit, said base uniformly supporting in balanced relation said motor for driving said bit, the vertical axis of said motor and said bit forming a vertical axis for the base and the router as a whole, an attachment comprising a guide member mounting block disposed radially of said bit and removably fixable to the underside of said base; a longitudinally disposed guideway in said block extending parallel to said base; a guide member having a template contactor supporting portion and a template contactor portion, said template contactor portion having an end of convexly curved arc of greater radius than the radius of the cutting arc of the bit, said contactor end extending normally to a single line of engagement with the Work adjacent to said bit in providing for maximum cut of the bit to a predetermined line of cut.

5. In combination with a conventional electric hand router having a motor driven router bit which has a shank and a work engaging base the vertical axis of which is the vertical axis of said motor and bit thereby providing a balance about said axis, an attachment comprising a guide member mounting block beneath said base disposed adjacent to and radially of said. bit to permit maintaining said balance and removably fixable to said underside of said base; a work engaging guide member radially slidably mounted on said block having a template contactor supporting portion and a template contactor portion to bear against a template, said template contactor portion having an end of a convexly curved arc form, which guide member has sides flaring backwardly and the radius of the arc of the guide member is greater than the radius of the cutting arc of the bit, said template contactor portion extending to a single tangent line of engagement with the work adjacent to said bit when the center of said are has its radius and the center of said bit has its radius located in the same radial line normal to vsaid work, in providing the maximum cut for said bit to a predetermined line of cut, the balance of the device about its vertical axis contributing to the precision and ease of application or" the device.

6. In combination with a conventional electric hand router havinga motor router bit, a work engaging base surrounding said bit, said base uniformly supporting in balanced relation said motor for driving said bit, the vertical axis of said motor and said bit forming a vertical axis for the 'base and the router as a Whole, an attachment comprising a guide'member mounting block disposed radially of said bit and removably fixable to said base; a longitudinally disposed guideway in said block extending parallel to said base; a guide member having a template contactor supporting portion and'a template contactor portion, said guide member having different shapes selectively mountable in said guide way, said template contactor portion having an end of convexly curved arc havinggreater radius than the radius of the cutting arc-of the .bit, said template contactor end extending to a single line of engagement with the work adjacent to said bit in providing for maximum cut of the bit to a predetermined lineiof cut; and adjustment means operatively engageable-With said guide member for selectively positioning the Work-engaging end portion of said guide member at a desired position relative the work;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,115,995 Willson g Nov. 3, 1914 1,361,377 Forster Dec. 7, 1920 1,596,154 Berthelsen et a1. Aug. 26, 1924 1,615,213 Carter Jan. 25, 1927 1,715,380 Onsrud June 4, 1929 1,839,196 Cameron Jan. 5, 1932 2,261,055 Dulaney Oct. 28, 1941 2,323,587 Duffy July 6, 1943 2,587,994 Gregory Mar. 4, 1952 2,599,712 Izen June 10, 1952 2,672,898 Schuster Mar. 23, 1954 2,726,690 Schacher Dec. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 809,356 Germany July 30, 1951 

